Enerlis accelerates its development on energy transition across France and Europe

The energy and ecological transition is the major issue of economic recovery. We wanted to question a success story dedicated to these transformations to understand the scope of the change to be accomplished.

Today, driven by France’s ambitious carbon neutrality objectives and a favorable regulatory environment, Enerlis is at a turning point in its history.

Aurélie Gaudillère, president of Enerlis, announced on July 6 during a press conference, the new ambition of the SME which has become a real Group: « we want to reach 1 billion euros in turnover by 2030 « .

Created in 2013, in hyper growth, with already more than 50 million euros of turnover, Enerlis is a global operator of « services in energy efficiency and renewable energies. It offers its customers (local authorities, social landlords) , industries, etc.), from upstream to downstream, to reduce their energy bill and reduce their environmental footprint.

In general, companies communicate about their capital increases after closing. Enerlis is proceeding in reverse: the company announces today an upcoming fundraising from an investment fund and on 25% of its capital. « The financial partner will be chosen at the end of the month », specifies Aurélie Gaudillère, president of this energy services company founded in 2013 with Thierry Martin and Laura Pinçon. They must contribute their securities in a joint venture created with the investor.

The Enerlis group has three levers to accelerate its development and thus become a major player in the new energy world, an active contributor to the carbon neutrality of the regions.

1. the strategy of integrating new expertise is the first lever for development. Offering a range of solutions ranging from energy renovation to the production and distribution of renewable energies, aimed at both public and private stakeholders, Enerlis is already present throughout the value chain. It has just created two additional companies, one dedicated to supplying carbon-free hydrogen fuel to communities, the other to a carbon offset offer for its customers and for its own activities.
2. the international development of the company is already present throughout France, including DROM, through its 13 branches. This network ensures close proximity to its customers (social landlords, communities, condominiums, industry, services, farmers) and its local partners. The group now wants to expand in Europe, with a first subsidiary created in Spain to develop the solar business, and other locations under study, in Italy or Scandinavia.
3. Development is financial: To be able to ensure and finance its development while being able to seize opportunities for external growth, Enerlis opens its capital to an investment fund. The three founding partners, who now hold all of the capital, wish to sell a minority share of the company’s capital, and have mandated Rothschild Bank to support them.

Enerlis is an independent energy group present in France and in Europe. Global operator of the energy transition, offers an integrated approach: it articulates its know-how in energy efficiency and renewable energies (charging station, solar, small hydroelectricity, low carbon hydrogen, etc.) for the building and mobility sectors. It designs, implements and finances energy renovation projects for its public and private clients by committing to results. Created in 2013, Enerlis achieved a turnover of 93 million euros in 2020, up more than 65% compared to 2019. Today it employs more than 185 people, the company aims to reach 1 billion euros of turnover by 2030.

Above all, continue our work on energy renovation and especially on the decarbonisation of the territory. Always and again reduce the environmental footprint and create cleaner cities. This is where we are heading. Our ambition, both in terms of external growth and internal growth, is to reach 300 million euros in sales in 5 or 10 years. This also involves more comprehensive renovations, responding to partnership contracts with regions or departments. We have also signed a partnership with ADF, the association of French departments. Enerlis is called upon to work more and more at the macroeconomic level. « 

The idea is to take in hand the problem, for example, of a town hall, a social landlord or a private client and to offer him all the solutions that will allow him to lower his energy bill, and reduce its environmental impact. In fact, what is interesting with the genesis of Enerlis is that we started from an economic observation to arrive at the ecological problem.

It is also linked to the cost of electricity. No matter what, we have a very low cost of electricity compared to other countries. They therefore face a head-on cost and as a result, they think more about the savings than we do.

With COVID, we have seen that the public authorities, in the pandemic and economic emergency, have succeeded in acting very quickly and simplifying the procedures.

The energy transition that the government wants to accelerate is good, the 15 billion more to finance it, it is very good, but we need support and aid from the state, financial certainly, but above all aid and action on simplification is fundamental.

The company hopes to sign a major contract in September with a partner bus manufacturer, but we do not have the name of the company as the contract has not been signed, but we could speculate on the names of major manufacturers in France, such as:

• there are a few factories that produce buses: Heuliez Bus, Irisbus, Evobus;
• current bus and coach manufacturers: · Iveco Bus · Mercedes-Benz · SETRA · MAN · Neoplan · Scania · Van Hool;
• other sites are designed to fit minibuses: Durisotti, Gruau, Trouillet. These production sites assemble vehicles intended for the French market, but also for export.

Any of these manufacturers could be one of the partners after signing the contract in September with Enerlis.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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